Firefighters extinguish Milford brush fire

Firefighters yesterday put out a 17- to 20-acre brush fire as meteorologists warned dry weather will continue through the end of the week. Firefighters said they had the fire extinguished and had left the woods by 5:30 p.m. after spending about 15 hours yesterday and Monday fighting the blaze near power lines between Eben Street and Milford Water Co.’s Dilla Street headquarters.

By Brian Benson/Daily News staff

Milford Daily News

By Brian Benson/Daily News staff

Posted Apr. 17, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Apr 17, 2012 at 5:04 PM

By Brian Benson/Daily News staff

Posted Apr. 17, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Apr 17, 2012 at 5:04 PM

MILFORD

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Firefighters yesterday put out a 17- to 20-acre brush fire as meteorologists warned dry weather will continue through the end of the week.

Firefighters said they had the fire extinguished and had left the woods by 5:30 p.m. after spending about 15 hours yesterday and Monday fighting the blaze near power lines between Eben Street and Milford Water Co.’s Dilla Street headquarters.

The blaze burned trees and brush, but never threatened buildings, Ferrante said.

He said about 20 firefighters battled the fire yesterday, including some off-duty Milford firefighters and crews from Hopkinton and Hopedale. About 60 firefighters fought the blaze on Monday.

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the area yesterday and meteorologist Alan Dunham said the rest of the week should remain dry. A red flag warning calls attention to critical weather conditions, which include sustained winds, low humidity and high fire danger.

“We’re not going to get wetting rain until the second half of the weekend at the earliest,” Dunham said.

With little snowfall this winter, the forest floor dried out quicker, a situation exacerbated by a dry March and first half of April, Dunham said.

“The warm dry spell we’ve been having made the conditions worse,” said Bellingham Lt. Joseph Robidoux, who helped shuttle water to the scene on Monday.

With assistance from more than a dozen agencies, Milford firefighters contained the fire Monday, but were unable to put out embers and the tops of some smoldering trees before it became too dark to safely work in the woods.

Crews returned around 8 a.m. yesterday to put out the embers, many of which were burning in crevices between rocks, Ferrante said.

Firefighters said one of the biggest challenges was the rocky, hilly land on which they fought the blaze.

“It’s a very challenging piece of ground,” said Upton Fire Chief Aaron Goodale, who responded to the scene on Monday. “It’s difficult shuttling water in there.”

Goodale said some of the dead wood that would normally be on the forest floor had been burned in prior brush fires, helping firefighters battle this blaze.

Several Eben Street residents said there are often brush fires in that area.

“I really am not surprised,” said Mary Malley, who has lived on the street for 17 years. “It’s every year, but not to this extent. ... In this heat you really appreciate (firefighters’) efforts.”

Firefighters last night had not determined a cause of the fire, Ferrante said.

Brian Benson can be reached at 508-634-7582 or bbenson@wickedlocal.com.